Monday, 9 December 2013

Poems that shaped me

So I found some poems whilst sorting papers, I must have printed them over ten years ago. They had a profound impact on me and I remember how special each was. Each shaping a little part of my work with children, some with complex difficulties and the adults and families that work with them. I don't know where they all come from other than if I spoke to the person who wrote them I would be eternally thankful.

The Gift of the Memorable
Child

The child that is my challenge is a gift.

Only he can give me

the gifts of patience,
tolerance, and acceptance –

If I let him.

He will be the one to make
me into a true teacher.

And challenge my very
soul.

I can learn more from this
child

Than from much of my
college coursework –

If I choose to.

A child is not something
that is “broken”

For me to “fix”.

This child comes to me a
unique individual

Worthy of love – just as he
is.

Or be yet another to throw
my hands up?

Do I have it in me to maybe
be the one

that can make a
difference?

Is he maybe the one that
will make a difference in me?

Will I choose to let him?

Cathy Abraham

(No child needs fixing but working with to mould to them to allow them to each their potential and find a safe place in the world)

Unity

I dreamed I stood in a studio

And watched two sculptors there.

The clay they used was a young child’s mind

And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher the tools she used were books
and music and art;

One was a parent with a guiding hand and a gentle
loving heart.

And when at last their work was done

They were proud of what they had wrought,

For the things they had worked into the child

could never be sold or bought.

And each agreed she would have failed

if she had worked alone,

For behind the parent stood the school,

and behind the teacher stood the home

by Ray A. Lingenfelter

(Sometimes we think we are working alone, and have arrogance to think we are right as educators yet only the best outcomes occur when there is a partnership)

Searching
for Gold

Look
beneath the freckles

Look
beneath the grin

Look
for that which sparkles

Buried
deep within.

Look
beyond the whining

Look
beyond the tears

Look
beyond the runny nose

The
frowns, the mess, the fears.

Search
for that which glitters

Treasures
to unfold

Search
beneath the surface

Search
and find the gold!

by
Jean Warren

(Sometimes, just sometimes a child is difficult to love yet we must search beyond the difficulties to find what is precious and in doing so we find treasures in them and ourselves)

Drop a Pebble in the Water

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is
gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on
and on,

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out
to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going
to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's
ripples circling yet,

And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave
have grown;

You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a
stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is
gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on
and on.

They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the
center as they go,

And there is no way to stop them, once you've started
them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you
forget;

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's
ripples circling yet,

And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears
you've stirred,

And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that
unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it
is gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on
and on,

Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing,
dashing wave

Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind
word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you
forget;

But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy
a circling yet,

And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music
can be heard

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one
kind word.

James W. Foley

(In everything we do everyday we have a major impact on those around us especially children, this is a huge responsibility and sometimes we forget the little things we do have far reaching consequences in their lives others around them and in to eternity.)

Molder of Dreams

Teachers …

You are the molders of their
dreams,

the gods who build or crush

their young beliefs of right
or wrong.

You are the spark that sets
aflame the

poet's hand, or lights the
flame

of some great singer's song.

You are the gods of the
young, the very young.

You are the guardian of a
million dreams.

Your every smile or frown can
heal or pierce a heart.

Yours are a hundred lives, a
thousand lives,

yours the pride of loving
them, and the sorrow, too.

Your patient work, your
touch, make you the gods of hope

who fill their souls with
dreams

to make those dreams come
true.

(I do not believe I am a god, totally against my own beliefs by whether we like it or not in the eyes of children we can create this, think of the impact for good, bad and ugly we can mould. Never forget our position)

Anyway

People
are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

Forgive
them anyway.

If
you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be
kind anyway.

If
you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true friends;

succeed
anyway.

If
you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be
honest and frank anyway.

What
you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build
anyway.

If
you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be
happy anyway.

The
good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do
good anyway.

Give
the world your best anyway.

You
see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It
was never between you and them anyway.

Mother
Teresa

(In all things remember this, you may not see the results of this even in your lifetime and you may become complacent please do not!!)